Darlington FC 1883 reminds Quakers fans it's their club (From Darlington and Stockton Times)
Send us your pictures, video, news and views by texting DST to 80360 or email us
Darlington FC 1883 reminds Quakers fans it's their club
5:45pm Thursday 24th May 2012 in News
By Joe Willis, Regional Chief Reporter
THE interim board of Darlington FC 1883 last night warned fans that the hard work to rebuilt their club was only just beginning at the club awaits news on which league it will play in next season.
The Football Association will decide on Friday whether the Quakers will play in the Northern League or one of two Evo-Stik divisions.
In an appeal for fans to back the club, Craig McKenna, from Darlington 1883 (DFC 1883), said the interim board wanted to ensure there was clarity on the ownership of Quakers and to remind supporters is was their club.
He added: “The interim board of 1883 are no more than the temporary custodians of the football club.
"The tremendous amount of money pledged by the fans through Crowdcube was viewed as a clear indication that the supporters of Darlington FC wished to take control of their football and the interim board of 1883 Ltd found a way to make that happen.
“The purchase of the football club was for the fans and local community of Darlington.
“There can be no room for complacency though and the purchase was not even the first step on the ladder - it was just acquiring the ladder.
"There is still a huge amount of work to be done. If the fans don’t recommit the money that they pledged through Crowdcube and they don't finance the club, it could well end up in exactly the same place as before."
Fans are being urged to reinvest more than £325,000 already pledged to the club through on-line company Crowdcube.
The money is being returned to supporters because the DFC 1883 was unable to purchase the club with a company voluntary arrangement in place.
DFC 1883 paid £100,000 for the club’s assets earlier this month.
Comments(35)
doddy2010
says...
7:38pm Thu 24 May 12
I didn't think of myself as thick, but maybe I will have to reconsider!
....or maybe it's that I'm just not enough of a fan to really get into it all.
Fair weather fans....who'd have 'em eh!
Idontknowaboutyoubut
says...
7:56pm Thu 24 May 12
al_quaker
says...
8:42pm Thu 24 May 12
doddy2010 wrote:It is a bit confusing. The best way (in my opinion) for the average person to reinvest is through the cic. If you go to 1883cic.org it has plenty of info. If you still have more questions, 1883 are very quick to answer them on the darlofc.co.uk forum.
Is it me - or is a lot of this financial stuff going over everyone else's head as well?
I didn't think of myself as thick, but maybe I will have to reconsider!
....or maybe it's that I'm just not enough of a fan to really get into it all.
Fair weather fans....who'd have 'em eh!
Please ignore idontknowaboutyoubut
...the fans of the club are grateful to anybody who wants to help save the club! I don't know what they are going on about. 1883 have been very open and honest about what they are trying to do.
Jolly Roger
says...
10:38pm Thu 24 May 12
Because not much by reading between the lines.
morgan1
says...
10:50pm Thu 24 May 12
I suspect a lot of investors have been turned off by the CIC.
1883 Ltd have been completely focused on one direction a fan owed football club based on donations, and had not considered a lot of small investors are interested in a return not running the club.
I guess they should have asked what the CrowdCube investors wanted and to determine what percentage were fans as opposed to small investors.
The pledges no longer exist as that was for a different investment vehicle.
With up to 10000 people who supported the club at Wembly either they dont like the current setup, are waiting to see which league the team plays in or have simply lost heart over some of the statements made especially the out of Darlo plan, and back in league 2 in three years etc, guess the next few weeks will reveal the outcome.
al_quaker
says...
10:54pm Thu 24 May 12
al_quaker
says...
10:55pm Thu 24 May 12
al_quaker
says...
10:58pm Thu 24 May 12
morgan1 wrote:I can't believe more than a handful of people would have invested in the Crowdcube pitch expecting a return. Any dividends (if any) were likely to be pumped back into the club
Not all the investors on CrowdCube were fans, some were simply looking for a return on an investment.
I suspect a lot of investors have been turned off by the CIC.
1883 Ltd have been completely focused on one direction a fan owed football club based on donations, and had not considered a lot of small investors are interested in a return not running the club.
I guess they should have asked what the CrowdCube investors wanted and to determine what percentage were fans as opposed to small investors.
The pledges no longer exist as that was for a different investment vehicle.
With up to 10000 people who supported the club at Wembly either they dont like the current setup, are waiting to see which league the team plays in or have simply lost heart over some of the statements made especially the out of Darlo plan, and back in league 2 in three years etc, guess the next few weeks will reveal the outcome.
morgan1
says...
11:01pm Thu 24 May 12
Being grateful to anyone who wants to save the club, should not be based on donations but on giving them a return for parting with their money.
al_quaker
says...
11:07pm Thu 24 May 12
morgan1 wrote:By putting money into the CIC, you get to vote on the directors of 1883. That's what I expected from the crowdcube pitch. I see very little difference. What did you expect apart from a vote on club matters out of the crowdcube pitch?
I don't see the CIC as an investment, its a donation to the club and those who are appointed to run it.
Being grateful to anyone who wants to save the club, should not be based on donations but on giving them a return for parting with their money.
Anyway, if somebody has a larger amount of cash, they can invest directly in 1883 anyway!
morgan1
says...
11:17pm Thu 24 May 12
Dividends are payed to investors on an agreed setup in the articles which defines the percentage of Net profits retained by the club, set aside for the community and paid to those who invested their hard earned money, from the onset of the formation of the club.
I simply dont understand why they are so set against some money being paid to investors. The club will likely not make a profit for at least the first 3 years anyway.
The set up as it is currently looks very difficult ever to get the level of finance the club will need to play in the conference/Evo Stik let alone league 2, this may be part of the reason money is not flowing.
They should have stuck with a traditional investment model, if dividends were then paid to the CIC, the CIC through its members vote could always have can always have donated their dividends to the club, everyone wins.
It would have also given the CIC some power if they dont like what the board is doing they with hold their donation.
al_quaker
says...
11:22pm Thu 24 May 12
The set up as it currently is should see the club get back into the conference. The budget is going to be based on the fanbase the club has, and the club has enough fans to make it's way back to the conference. The football league will be harder, but there is no reason why it can't be achieved if the club is run correctly.
morgan1
says...
11:26pm Thu 24 May 12
There is no requirement to write to the 1883ltd and go through all the hassle of an individual investment arrangement.
Who has the time to do this.
Why would I invest a large amount of money for no return, on a commercial venture such as a football club.
morgan1
says...
11:30pm Thu 24 May 12
Maybe Darlo can be the first.
Idontknowaboutyoubut
says...
11:46pm Thu 24 May 12
I have been insulted and abused by certain"loyal" fans who obviously see it as "their "club,but they expect us mugs to finance their dreams of "glory".
You lost me,as an investor, because I didnt like the response to my questions and also to others who dared to ask questions.The attitude of such "fans" has cost the club what I would have invested,and I can see that others are thinking the same.Some of you,need to realise that you are not the top dog,and should be more amenable to potential investors.
al_quaker
says...
11:55pm Thu 24 May 12
morgan1 wrote:AFC Wimbledon are the obvious ones. There is Telford and Wrexham in the Conference too. I believe Exeter and Brentford are fan owned, or at least part fan owned too. It can be done!
Al-quaker, love your optimistic approach, I dont think there are any fan owed teams in the main leagues, could be wrong.
Maybe Darlo can be the first.
morgan1
says...
12:00am Fri 25 May 12
The fans that think that the investors should get nothing are living in a dream, if you want money then define the structure so that the investors get a dividend or donate large sums yourselves.
al_quaker
says...
12:02am Fri 25 May 12
Idontknowaboutyoubut wrote:No I advised doddy to ignore you because you made a sweeping generalisation. Most fans are grateful for anybody putting money in. If you got an insulting response on here then you need to realise anybody can post on here. There could be people posing as Darlington fans who are not....
al-quaker,you advise doddy to ignore me.Why is that?Is it because I have had the effrontery to ask awkward questions?
I have been insulted and abused by certain"loyal" fans who obviously see it as "their "club,but they expect us mugs to finance their dreams of "glory".
You lost me,as an investor, because I didnt like the response to my questions and also to others who dared to ask questions.The attitude of such "fans" has cost the club what I would have invested,and I can see that others are thinking the same.Some of you,need to realise that you are not the top dog,and should be more amenable to potential investors.
If you have questions, ask 1883 on the ask 1883 uncovered forum. They will be answered.
If you don't want to put money into the club then fine. Nobody can make you invest. But it'd look better if you tried not to persuade others to put money in. Do you want the club to die?
al_quaker
says...
12:04am Fri 25 May 12
morgan1 wrote:Why not ask 1883 on the uncovered forum?
Every part of the club gets a return why not the investors, all the sponsors get advertisng, the pie man gets profit from selling pies, the council gets fees for parking,
The fans that think that the investors should get nothing are living in a dream, if you want money then define the structure so that the investors get a dividend or donate large sums yourselves.
al_quaker
says...
12:06am Fri 25 May 12
morgan1 wrote:Why would you invest a large amount of money in a not for profit football club? To see the club survive.
The CrowdCube model is simple to deal with a couple of clicks and you invest.
There is no requirement to write to the 1883ltd and go through all the hassle of an individual investment arrangement.
Who has the time to do this.
Why would I invest a large amount of money for no return, on a commercial venture such as a football club.
Investors weren't going to make a profit before, and they aren't going to make a profit now. It's all to do with ensuring the survival of the football club.
morgan1
says...
12:17am Fri 25 May 12
If you dont want to pay investors dividends then you want a big sponsor who will let you run the club, Morrisons, Tesco some one where £1m a year wont affect them.
morgan1
says...
12:19am Fri 25 May 12
swagger
says...
7:15am Fri 25 May 12
Lawman3
says...
9:29am Fri 25 May 12
doonhamer
says...
9:55am Fri 25 May 12
Lawman3
says...
10:27am Fri 25 May 12
darlobri
says...
12:05pm Fri 25 May 12
doonhamer
says...
2:54pm Fri 25 May 12
Lawman3 wrote:Lunatic. Yes the FA have had there meeting, yes it is the Northern League. Get a life, go back to school and get educated. The RA are in the Northern League. What sort of standard do you think Darlo are aiming for. Cretin.
The RA isn't the only option. It would require a lot of investment to increase capacity - even in the Northern League, expect Darlo to be the best supported team. Don't discount the rugby club option without knowing all the facts. And your first sentence is premature. It may well be the Northern League, but the FA haven't had their meeting yet. Oh, and stop being a twisty, miserable bugger. Your glass may be half empty, but mine is hall full. Onwards and upwards!
Lawman3
says...
4:34pm Fri 25 May 12
doonhamer
says...
4:52pm Fri 25 May 12
Lawman3 wrote:Wrong. FA decision was made THREE weeks ago. Shildons ground is/was not up to Evostick League standard. However as your mother obviously threw the wrong part away when you entered this planet, how could you possibly begin to understand that ?
I posted at 10.27am, you illiterate retard. They hadn't met at that time, let alone announced their decision. I've been to school, got an education, professional qualications, a job - I don't need to go back. Read my post again - what don't you understand? The RA are in the Northern League (well done!) but my point was that their ground doesn't have the capacity to cope with the size of crowd expected. You twisty, miserable bugger!
Lawman3
says...
5:02pm Fri 25 May 12
Jolly Roger
says...
6:10pm Fri 25 May 12
As Darlo will become another Footy club like the rest of the NL.
ted forster
says...
8:52am Sun 27 May 12
The reason for my post is re' the question,"how much have the board put it". I have had contact with 1 member on a few occasions, and found that person to be open and ready to help both the club and people with an interest.
When knocking these people it should be remembered that they are both a temporary board, and only there because they did not want the club to die. Most, if not all,have a living to make and give the time they put in to the club for nothing more than to see the club get through this period.
Anyone having any kind of go at them, simple, put your name forward and get on the full board !!! Yes, right, you will do that !!!!!
doonhamer
says...
9:30am Sun 27 May 12
Lawman3 wrote:You couldn't even run a car over a cliff with the brakes off. Dare I pose a question to you though ?..... If, as has been stated an admin error has been made and the FA relent, providing Raj Singh keeps his word, and place Darlo in the Evostik, where would they play. Is it not true that 1883 jumped the gun when brokering a deal with Shildon (hence my comments THREE WEEKS AGO) as their ground IS NOT up to Evostik standard and that is fact please believe me. Darlo would then have to reimburse Shildon for breach of contract, spending more money that they haven't got, before trying to negotiate a deal with either Bishops or Durham whose grounds meet the required standard !!!. Do you agree with this or will you just bury your head in the sand, deny everything, mouth off obscenities and castigate each and everyone who has a different opinion to you or who dares to speak the truth. I bet i'm not surprised by your answer, go on prove me wrong.
I've invested in the CIC - it's easy to do. It went through much quicker than crowdcube. My "return" will be knowing that I've helped to save my football club, and will have a say in the way it is run in the future. That's good enough for me (and many others).
antagonist1 says...
6:14pm Thu 24 May 12